Single cylinder hydraulic stabilizer for steering

ABSTRACT

A hydraulic stabilizer serving to lock a steering element in its position at any time valve-actuating rods of the device are not being caused to move as a result of steering forces applied thereto, the valve controlling flow of hydraulic fluid from one end of the hydraulic cylinder to the other end of the cylinder so as to permit movement of the valve block itself with respect to a portion of a vehicle, such as a boat.

United States Patent Sturges 451 Apr. 25, 1972 [541 SINGLE CYLINDER HYDRAULIC 3,335,688 8/1967 Leigh....., ..114/150 STABILIZER FOR STEERING 3,148,657 9/1964 Homing ..115/18 R [72] Inventor: l-liram A. Sturges, 5803 Nicholas Street, primary Examine, And|-ew Fan-e" Omaha, Nebr- 63132 Attorney-Hiram A. Sturges 97 [221 Filed (Apr 2,: [57] ABSTRACT 2 ,1 [2]] App] No u A hydraulic stabilizer serving to lock a steering element Ill its position at any time valve-actuating rods of the device are not "MUS/ 11 72, 114/150 being caused to move as a result of steering forces applied [51 Int. Cl. .l ..B63h 21/26 thereto, the valve controlling flow of hydraulic fluid fromone [58] Field of Search ..1 14/150, 172; 188/300, 313; end of the hydraulic cylinder to the other end of the cylinder 1 1 8 so as to permit movement of the valve block itself with respect to a portion of a vehicle, such as a boat. [56] References Cited 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS Y I 3,374,761 3/1968 Bretz ..114/150 1 MOTOR 0 130 "av f e 00 1:0

93 I o 12 1e :71 I20 I14 x n -zao 0 an zao PATENTED APR 2 5 I972 INVENTOR SINGLE CYLINDER HYDRAULIC STABILIZER FOR STEERING FIELD OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART An example of the steering system to which the principles of this invention can apply is described in US. Pat. No. 3,374,761, issued to Russel G. Bretz, Mar. 26, 1968,.and titled, HYDRAULIC STABILIZER FOR BOAT STEERING.

In the Bretz patent, two hydraulic cylinders and pivotal connections for each of the two ends of the two hydraulic cylinders were required, and a need for two separate sets of these elements, not only maintains the cost of the stabilizer at the higher than necessary level, but also increases the cost of installation labor involved in attaching such a stabilizer to a boat.

There are price limits which the majority of people will pay for hydraulic stabilizers for steering. For example, a boat owner may desired to have a stabilizer on his boat, he may realize that it will give him extra safety; he may realize that the stabilizer will tend to prevent the boat from veering off course possibly into a collision at a time when some mishap causes him to release the steering wheel; and yet the amount that such a man will pay for the stabilizer is limited by the fact that it is not an absolute necessity.

Because there is an upper limit to the price of a hydraulic stabilizer without losing all possibility of reaching even a small mass market, it is very important that greater economy be achieved in the conception of the mechanical design of steering stabilizers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In combination with a controllable steering element mounted pivotally on a boat, an hydraulic stabilizer and control comprising a frame, a valve on the frame, which, when open, permits steering movement of said element, and a single hydraulic cylinder assembly operably hydraulically connected to the valve and mechanically anchored flexibly to the boat and flexibly to the frame so that movement of the frame covered by movement of one of two valve controlling spaced means will cause the valve to open and the assembly to shor ten or lengthen, but movement of the frame without simultaneous movement of one of the spaced means will be prevented because said valve will not open and the cylinder assembly will not shorten or lengthen, the valve ports being hydraulically connected to the single cylinder of said one assembly at ports on opposite sides of the piston thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIRTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The hydraulic stabilizer and control assembly of this invention is generally indicated at in FIG. I and is adapted to be attached to a boat 12 having a transom 14 and side 16.

An outboard motor generally indicated at is pivotally mounted on the transom 14 in a conventional manner by means not shown.

An upper forward side of the motor 20 is attached by suitable means to a rearward side 34 of the frame of the hydraulic stabilizer and control assembly of this invention as is generally indicated at 50. As the outboard motor 20 has a propeller adapted for normally directing a thrust rearwardly for propelling the boat forwardly, the rotation or twisting of the motor about an axis extending vertically at approximately the center of the transom 14 will cause the boat 12 to be turned to one side or the other in a conventional manner.

Because of this, the motor 20 can also be referred to as a steering element 20 in the same sense that the rudder of a ship is a steering element pivotally mounted on the ship.

In accordance with this invention, a valve generally indicated at is provided, the valve 60 having a controllable member 62 movably mounted on the frame 40 or movably mounted with respect to the frame 40 and adapted to engage a sliding member slidably mounted between parts 72 of the frame 40 for pressing the sliding member 70 into a position for compressing and closing a hose or passageway forming means at times. The hydraulic stabilizer assembly 10 further has a valve control rod having openings 92 therethrough which are spaced apart, the openings 92 serving to receive the end loops 98 of a pair of steering cables 100 of a conventional and suitable outboard motorboat steering system.

End portions of the rod 90, in areas surrounding the openings 92, serve to provide spaced means 110' for spaced end portions 110 to which the control cable ends or loops 98 can be attached.

The rod 90 is slidably mounted in the valve frame 40 for sliding to the right or to the left of the boat 12.

Spring assemblies can also be called means 120 for continually urging each of the spaced means 110' into positions for causing a notch receiving a forward end of the controllable member 62 to be urged into a central position, whereby it is disposed at a right angle to the elongated rod 90 for exerting a maximum pressure on the sliding member 70 so as to maintain the hose 80 in a closed or squeezed condition, or in other words, the spring assemblies 120 tend to cause the controllable member 62 to be disposed in a position for closing the passageway through the passageway forming means or hose 80.

An elongated hydraulic cylinder assembly generally indicated at isprovided, and the elongated cylinder assembly 170 is attached to the frame 40 by suitable means such as a ball and socket joint 174 for providing a flexability.

A mounting bracket 200 receiving bolts 202 is anchored to the transom 14 by the bolts 202.

The bracket 200 is attached to outer end of the hydraulic cylinder assembly 170 by a ball and socket joint unit 230 and the hydraulic cylinder assembly 170 extends generally to one side such as the right and left from the frame 40, the assembly 170 extending, when seen in frontal elevation or top plan view, preferably very generally or approximately in parallelism with a line extending through the spaced means 110', as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be seen that the cylinder assembly 170 can extend downwardly at its outer end, or upwardly or forwardly or rearwardly, with respect to its inner end so long as it is in at least partial alignment with a lineextending through the spaced means 110'.

It is important that the alignment just described be at least sufficient that the cylinder assembly changes in length to an operable degree during an amount of movement of said controllable steering element that is an amount sufficient for effective turning of said boat with desirable efficiency.

The assembly 170 has a single port fitting or port means 240 connected to one end of the hydraulic cylinder 320 of the assembly 170, and the port means 240 are each connected to a different one of the ends of the hose 80.

Fluid is disposed in the cylinder 320 and in the passageway through the hose 80 and the cylinder assembly 170 is so constructed that the fluid flows from one end of the cylinder 170 to the other whenever the cylinder assembly is shortened or lengthened by a movemnt of the frame 40 toward or away from the cylinder 320, as will occur whenever a cable 100 is pulled, such pulling having the first effect of causing the member 62 to be disposed at other than a right angle with respect to the rod 90 as will open the passageway 80, and then having the second effect in that further pulling in the same direction will compress the spring 120 on the opposite side enough to increase its pressure such that the entire frame 40 and the motor to which it is attached will be pulled in the direction of the pulling cable for turning the motor as causes the steering of the boat in a manner substantially conventional.

It is to be understood that the cables 100 are connected to a conventional steering system such that a turning of the steering wheel of the boat in one direction or the other will cause the pulling of the cables 100. N

An adjustment plate 250 engages the opposite side of the hose 80 from the sliding member 70, and the plate 250 is positioned by adjustment screws 260 to a preferred position.

It is important that the means anchoring the outer end of the cylinder assembly, which can be called a means 350, comprising in combination the anchoring bracket 200 and the universal joint 230, be of a certain amount of flexibility.

It is important that the anchoring means 350 anchoring the outer end of the cylinder assembly and the means 174 attaching the inner end of the cylinder assembly to the frame together form attachments sufficiently flexible as to permit a movement of the frame 40 sufficiently for effective control of steering of the boat; furthermore, this flexibility should be sufficient as to permit the cylinder 170 to be positioned with respect to its inner end upwardly or downwardly therefrom, or forwardly or rearwardly therefrom, or any combination of relative vertical and forward and rearward positions. In this way, the outer end of the hydraulic cylinder assembly will be positionable so as to make it unnecessary to cut holes in the water-well of most boats in order to properly position the outer end of the cylinder 170 for permitting movement of the frame 40 sufficiently for effective control of the steering of the boat.

The boat 12 can also be called a steerable vehicle 12 and since its outboard motor with its directable propeller steers the boat, the outboard motor 20 can also be considered a controllable steering means 20 which is movably mounted on the body of the vehicle or boat 12, the body being illustrated by the transom 14 and water-well sides 16.

The steering cables 100 can also be called two oppositely acting controllable steering control members 100, which latter are mounted movably on the body represented by the transom l4 and water-well sides 16 and the cables are movable in two substantially opposite directions.

The sliding member 70 can also be called a controllable operating member 70 of the valve and it is movably mounted on the frame 20 of the valve.

It will be seen that the elongated cylinder assembly means or elongated cylinder assembly 170 is disposed generally sufficiently close to alignment with a straight line extending through the spaced means defined by the end portions 110 of the rod 90 that the cylinder assembly means changes in length during an amount of movement of the steering control members or cables 100 that it is sufficient to permit the effective turning of the vehicle or boat with desirable efficiency.

The universal joints 174 and 230 form means flexibly attaching the cylinder assembly 170 to firstly, the body of the vehicle or boat as the body is defined by its transom and its water-well walls and, secondly, to the steering means or motor 20 and the universal joints are sufficiently flexible as to permit a movement of the steering means or motor 20 sufficient for effective operation of the steering means or motor 20 for its purpose of steering the vehicle or boat 12.

lclaim: I

1. In combination: a boat having a body, a motor, a propeller connected to said motor, a controllable steeringmeans movably mounted on said body for movement in two substantially opposite directions, two-oppositely acting controllable steering control members mounted movably on said body and movable in two substantially opposite directions with respect to said body, said steering means being attached to said motor, said motor being pivotally connected to said boat being for movement so that said propeller will face in directions for steering said boat to the right and left when said steering means is moved in each of said directions respectively, an hydraulic stabilizer and control comprising a frame, means mounting said frame on said steering means, a valve attached to said frame and having two ports and having means forming a passageway between said ports, said valve having a controllable operating member movably mounted on said frame and operably correlated with said passageway forming means for closing said passageway at times and for opening said passageway at other times, spaced means to which said steering control members are respectively attached, means operably correlating said spaced means and said controllable operating valve member whereby when either-one of said spaced means is pulled in a direction away from the other spaced means said controllable operating valve member is moved in a direction for opening said passageway andthereafter further movement of said either one of said spaced means causes corresponding movement of said frame and said controllable steering means with respect to said body, and means continually urging each of said spaced means into positions for causing said controllable member to be moved into a position for closing said passageway, elongated hydraulic cylinder assembly means comprising cylinder means and piston means, means flexibly attaching different portions of said hydraulic cylinder assembly to said controllable steering means and to said body respectively, said elongated cylinder assembly means extending generally sufiiciently close to alignment with a line extending through said spaced means that said cylinder assembly means changes in length during an amount of movement of said steering control members that is sufficient to permit effective turning of said vehicle with desirable efficiency, said assembly having two cylinder ports each connected to a different one of said two valve ports, fluid in said cylinder assembly means and in said passageway, and said cylinder assembly means being so constructed that said fluid flows through said valve in one direction during a movement of said frame in one of said directions and said fluid flows through said valve in the opposite direction during a movement of said frame in the opposite one of said two directions, said means flexibly attaching said cylinder assembly means to said body and to said steering means being sufiiciently flexible as to permit a movement of said steering means sufficient for effective operation of said steering means for its purpose of steering said vehicle, said hydraulic cylinder assembly means comprising a single hydraulic cylinder, said piston means being a piston inside the cylinder, said two cylinder ports being extended through said one hydraulic cylinder on opposite sides of the end of its piston for defining a double-acting hydraulic cylinder assembly.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said two steering control members are two steering control cables. 

1. In combination: a boat having a body, a motor, a propeller connected to said motor, a controllable steering means movably mounted on said body for movement in two substantially opposite directions, two oppositely acting controllable steering control members mounted movably on said body and movable in two substantially opposite directions with respect to said body, said steering means being attached to said motor, said motor being pivotally connected to said boat being for movement so that said propeller will face in directions for steering said boat to the right and left when said steering means is moved in each of said directions respectively, an hydraulic stabilizer and control comprising a frame, means mounting said frame on said steering means, a valve attached to said frame and having two ports and having means forming a passageway between said ports, said valve having a controllable operating member movably mounted on said frame and operably correlated with said passageway forming means for closing said passageway at times and for opening said passageway at other times, spaced means to which said steering control members are respectively attached, means operably correlating said spaced means and said controllable operating valve member whereby when either one of said spaced means is pulled in a direction away from the other spaced means said controllable operating valve member is moved in a direction for opening said passageway andthereafter further movement of said either one of said spaced means causes corresponding movement of said frame and said controllable steering means with respect to said body, and means continually urging each of said spaced means into positions for causing said controllable member to be moved into a position for closing said passageway, elongated hydraulic cylinder assembly means comprising cylinder means and piston means, means flexibly attaching different portions of said hydraulic cylinder assembly to said controllable steering means and to said body respectively, said elongated cylinder assembly means extending generally sufficiently close to alignment with a line extending through said spaced means that said cylinder assembly means changes in length during an amount of movement of said steering control members that is sufficient to permit effective turning of said vehicle with desirable efficiency, said assembly having two cylinder ports each connected to a different one of said two valve ports, fluid in said cylinder assembly means and in said passageway, and said cylinder assembly means being so constructed that said fluid flows through said valve in one direction during a movement of said frame in one of said directions and said fluid flows through said valve in the opposite direction during a movement of said frame in the opposite one of said two directions, said means flexibly attaching said cylinder assembly means to said body and to said steering means being sufficiently flexible as to permit a movement of said steering means sufficient for effective operation of said steering means for its purpose of steering said vehicle, said hydraulic cylinder assembly means comprising a single hydraulic cylinder, said piston means being a piston inside the cylinder, said two cylinder ports being extended through said one hydraulic cylinder on opposite sides of the end of its piston for defining a double-acting hydraulic cylinder assembly.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which said two steering control members are two steering control cables. 